creators_name: Wiwanitkit, Viroj creators_id: wviroj@yahoo.com editors_name: Kakkilaya, Srinivas editors_id: Kakkilaya BS type: journale datestamp: 2008-06-02 00:34:22 lastmod: 2011-03-11 08:57:08 metadata_visibility: show title: Cost utility analysis of diagnostic method of syphilis ispublished: pub subjects: OJHAS full_text_status: public keywords: Serology, Diagnosis, Syphilis abstract: Presently, the diagnosis of syphilis is dependent mainly on serological tests. The most widely used screening tests for syphilis are the VDRL and the rapid plasma reagin (RPR) and for confirmation, the fluorescent treponemal antibody (FTA) and the treponema pallidum hemagglutination (TPHA) tests. The four alternative modes for diagnosis of syphilis can be a) VDRL + FTA, b) VDRL + TPHA, c) RPR + FTA and d) RPR + TPHA. Here the author reports an evaluation of cost utility of these tests in medical practice. It is shown that the cost per accurate diagnosis with VDRL + TPH is the least expensive choice. Therefore, this alternative is the best method for serological diagnosis for syphilis, based on medical laboratory economics principles. date: 2008-04-10 date_type: published publication: Online Journal of Health and Allied Sciences volume: 7 number: 1 publisher: Dr. B.S. Kakkilaya refereed: TRUE referencetext: 1. Goh BT. Syphilis in adults. Sex Transm Infect. 2005;81:448-52. 2. Lowhagen GB. Syphilis: test procedures and therapeutic strategies. Semin Dermatol. 1990;9:152-9. 3. Wiwanitkit V. Biological false reactive VDRL tests: when to re-test? Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health. 2002;33 Suppl 3:131-2. 4. Zeltser R, Kurban AK. Syphilis. Clin Dermatol. 2004;22:461-8. 5. Drusin LM. Syphilis: clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and treatment. Urol Clin North Am. 1984;11:121-30. 6. Feder HM Jr, Manthous C. The asymptomatic patient with a positive VDRL test. Am Fam Physician. 1988;37:185-90. citation: Wiwanitkit, Viroj (2008) Cost utility analysis of diagnostic method of syphilis. [Journal (On-line/Unpaginated)] document_url: http://cogprints.org/6089/1/2008-1-8.pdf